Liberia's National Port Authority (NPA) says it is not comfortable with the current contract agreement involving the Global Tracking Maritime Solutions (GTMS) and the Cargo Tracking Network (CTN) at the Freeport of Monrovia.
Over the weekend, NPA Managing Director Mr. Sekou H. Dukuly described the fees charged by GTMS and CTN as unfair and unrealistic.
Dukuly lamented that the GTMS and CTN agreement are not benefiting the NPA and Liberians, warning that their stay in the country will depend on a drastic reduction in their fees charged.
The NPA chief noted that he and many other port users continue to suffer and complain about GTMS and CTN fees charged.
"To admit, we are not comfortable with GTMS and CTN contracts. Fair to say, we are not happy with anything except the contract agreement that we met there because we have a contract law."
"We do respect contractor agreements that we met there but we are not comfortable with them," he stated.
A 15-year cargo tracking contract worth US$ 25M was signed between the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government of ex-President George Manneh Weah and the GTMS.
That contract is currently being implemented by the NPA. It can be recalled that the Plenary of the Liberian Senate set up an Ad-Hoc Committee to launch an investigation into the contract the NPA signed with CTN and GTMS on July 11, 2018.
The contract was signed under the administration of NPA's former Managing Director Madam Celia Cuffey Brown, former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, and attested by former Justice Minister Frank Musa Dean.
Mr. Dukuly said Liberians are not gangsters, explaining that they will respect contracts that were signed by their predecessors.
"We are talking to GTMS and CTN because there are numbers on our desk that are not encouraging at all. If that service will be extended, it has to be improved," said Mr. Dukuly.
"They have to lower the fees. We are all port users and all Liberians. We can't live in a world where everybody sells something to Liberians, but Liberians can't sell to them," Mr. Dukuly stated.
Explaining his experience with GTMS and CTN, the NPA Managing Director said he imported over thirty containers last year for his water factory that was undergoing construction.
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According to Dukuly, he was not happy when he paid CTN and GTMS fees. Now that he is in authority to ask questions, he vowed to ask those questions.
"We don't want to predict the Senate report on GTMS and CTN. If they will stay or be extended, they have to make changes in that agreement with regards to fees that benefit the port and the Liberian people," he suggested.
